Apparatus for eliminating vapor and condensate from drawing arrangements

ABSTRACT

The suction hood is mounted to receive condensate from the bloc heater either indirectly via the rooflike cover (FIG. 1) or directly (FIG. 2). The received condensate leaves the suction hood via drain openings adjacent the backwall so as to flow downwardly without contacting the draw rolls. The vapor is eliminated by suction from above and below the block heater via the tubes and hood.

United States Patent Inventor Arthur Wurmli Winterthur, SwitzerlandApp1.N0. 36,910 Fiied May 13, 1970 Patented Jan. 11, 1972 AssigneeRieter Machine Works, Ltd.

Winterthur, Switzerland Priority May 13, 1969 Switzerland 7440/69APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING VAPOR AND CONDENSATE FROM DRAWING ARRANGEMENTS18 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl. 57/55.5, 57/34 HS Int. Cl D02j 13/00, D01h 5/00 [50] Field ofSearch 57/34, 34 HS, 55.5, 56, 112; 28/62 [56] References Cited UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 3,460,215 8/1969 Graf 57/34 X 3,441,993 5/1969 Stelwagen57/55.5 X

3,066,471 12/1962 Scragg 57/34 X 3,063,124 11/1962 Hilleary et a1.57/34X Primary Examiner- Donald E. Watkins Attorney- Kenyon & KenyonReilly Carr & Chapin ABSTRACT: The suction hood is mounted to receivecondensate from the bloc heater either indirect1y via the rooflike cover(FIG. I) or directly (FIG. 2). The received condensate leaves thesuction hood via drain openings adjacent the backwall so as to flowdownwardly without contacting the draw rolls. The vapor is eliminated bysuction from above and below the block heater via the tubes and hood.

PATENTEU JAN] 1 [972 3,633,353

sum 1 OF 2 APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING VAPOR AND CONDENSATE FROM DRAWINGARRANGEMENTS This invention relates to an apparatus for eliminatingvapors and condensate from a drawing arrangement as used on drawtwistingand draw-winding machines.

Heretofore, drawing devices for endless threads have been known to usean arrangement of heated rolls and/or block heaters between twothread-transporting rolls in a closed housing in order to process thethread. The thread which has been processed in such an arrangement hasentered and exited from the housing via openings such as gates or slots.Since vapors have been formed while the thread has been heated, due tovarious preparations previously applied to the thread, suction has beenapplied to the housing to draw off the vapor.

These closed housings, however, have had a disadvantage in that thehousings must be constructed in two parts and must be opened by liftingone part for threading in of the thread. This not only complicatesoperation of the machine, but furthermore requires more expensiveequipment without achieving a solution of the task of condensateelimination.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to eliminate vapor andcondensate from drawing arrangements.

It is another object of the invention to eliminate vapor and condensatesimply and inexpensively from drawing arrangements.

It is another object of the invention to draw off condensate from adrawing arrangement in a simple manner.

Briefly, the invention provides an apparatus which utilizes the elementsprovided for vapor suction for the elimination of condensate from adrawing arrangement. The apparatus is used in an arrangement having ablock heater, a cover over the heater to define an enclosure, a heateddraw roll below the block heater and cover, and means for placing theenclosure under suction. The apparatus includes a means forming achimneylike compartment between the block heater and draw roll, a coverat the upper end of the compartment and a suction hood suspended fromthe underside of the cover. The hood is placed under suction and isexposed to the enclosure of the covered block heater to draw off vaporfrom the enclosure. In addition, the cover and hood are shaped to takeup condensate dripping from the block heater and to guide the condensateto a backwall of the chimneylike compartment. In this way by causing thecondensate to flow down the backwall the condensate avoids the sides ofthe draw roll.

In one embodiment, the condensate from the block heater is allowed todrip onto the cover and flow down to a collector groove at a lower end.This collector groove, in turn, communicates through a suitable drainopening with the interior of the hood so that the condensate can bedrawn off through the hood.

In another embodiment, the condensate from the block heater is allowedto drip directly into the hood in order to be drawn off. This embodimenteliminates the need for a collector groove and drain opening in thecover.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description and appended claimstaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an axonometric view of a drawing arrangement providedwith an apparatus according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates an axonometric view of a block heater cover accordingto the invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the drawing arrangement for endless threads, alsocalled filaments, consists of two draw rolls 2, 3 and a separator roll4, 5 adjacent each draw roll 2, 3 as well as a block heater 6 covered bya cover 7 and provided with a heating surface 8 on which the threadscontactingly pass. An identical drawing arrangement with draw rolls 2,3' is placed to the right (not shown).

In order to eliminate vapor and condensate, a roof-shaped cover 9 whichextends along the length of the machine is positioned below the blockheater 6 and has an inclined portion 19 sloped downwardly towards theback. In addition, a suction hood 13 is suspended from under the cover 9and includes holes 12 in the front, a lower wall 14 which is slightlyinclined towards the back and an upstanding backwall IS. The front wall,lower wall 14 and backwall 15 together form a channel. A verticalseparator wall 17 is provided between neighboring lower draw rolls,e.g., 3 and 3' in order to form a chimneylike compartment together withthe cover 9 and a backwall 18. Each compartment serves to direct anairflow upwards in the direction indicated by the arrows. The loweredges 17' of the separator walls 17 are inclined downwards towards thebackwalls 18 so that condensate collected on the walls [7 is guided tothe backwall 18.

The inclined portion 19 of the cover 9 is provided with suction openings20 each of which is formed by an enlargement at the back of athreading-in slot 2I while each hood [3 is provided with an opening 22so that the suction of the suction hood 13 is caused to act on the lowerpart of each block heater 6. Each suction hood l3 ends at the separatorwalls 17 and is provided with a suction nozzle 23 which is connected toa central suction source (not shown) by means of a hose 24. In addition,the suction source also provides a vacuum for an upper suction device 11of the block heater 6. In this'manner, the drawing arrangement isexposed to an airstream of low velocity at the locations where vaporsform on the threads. This airstream is generated below the heated drawrolls 3 owing to the natural chimney effect in the compartment betweenthe walls l7, l8 and is drawn off above the heated draw rolls 2.

In order to remove the condensate, any condensate which forms in thehose 24 at the beginning of an operation due to cooling flows back tothe hood 13. Also, the cover 9 is provided with collector grooves 25 atthe back in order to take up condensate dripping from the block heatercover 7 onto the inclined portion 19. Each groove 25 connects via adrain opening 26 with the suction hood I3 therebelow. The groove 16 inthe hood 13 then takes up the condensate entering via the openings 26.This groove 16 as well could be replaced by a slot (not shown). Thesuction hood 13 is further provided with condensate drain openings 27arranged near the back end in the neighborhood of each separator wallI7, so that condensate can flow out of the hood 13 down the backwall 18while avoiding the sides of the draw roll 3. The condensate is thencollected in a collector groove 28 formed by the lower end of thebackwall l8 and flows into a central collector vessel (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 2, the cover 29 of the block heater 30 can beconstructed to have a point 31 from which condensate can drip directlyinto the suction opening 22 of the suction hood 13, the point 31 beingvertically above the opening 22. In this alternative construction, acollector groove and condensate drain openings in the cover are notneeded. Furthermore, the suction device for the block heater 30 can beprovided with an upper suction nozzle 32 for the upper end of the heater30 and a branch suction tube 33 for the lower end of the block heater30.

The invention thus provides an apparatus which by combining vapor andcondensate elimination, achieves a vapor elimination under minimumsuction air quantities while the condensate is guided into a centralcollector vessel without provision of additional ducts; use being madeof only the elements provided for vapor suction.

What is claimed is:

I. An apparatus for eliminating vapor and condensate from a drawingarrangement for endless threads having a block heater, a first coverover said heater and a draw roll below said heater; said apparatuscomprising means defining a chimneylike compartment between said heaterand draw roll, said means including a second cover at the upper end ofsaid compartment below said heater and a vertical backwall extendingbelow said draw roll; and

a suction hood suspended below said second cover, said hoodcommunicating with said heater to receive condensate dripping from saidheater and communicating with said backwall to guide the receivedcondensate to said backwall for flowing past said draw roll.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coverincludes a lowermost point for dripping of condensate therefrom intosaid hood.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim I which further comprises aplurality of said heaters and draw rolls, and a corresponding pluralityof said compartments having a separate suction hood therein.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hood has acondensate collector groove therein extending longitudinally thereof.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said collector groove isprovided at said backwall.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 wherein said condensatecollector groove is provided with condensate drain openings arrangednear said backwall and laterally offset from said draw roll.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said backwall forms acondensate collector groove below said draw roll.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hood has asuction opening directed upwardly and arranged vertically below anopening in said second cover and below said block heater.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said block heater has apoint arranged vertically above said suction opening of said suctionhood for dripping of condensate directly into said suction hood.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hood hassuction openings communicating with the lower end of said heater.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means includes apair of separator walls extending from said backwall.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein each separator wallhas a lower edge inclined downwardly towards said backwall to directcondensate thereto.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover isinclined downwardly towards said backwall and includes a groove thereinand drain openings in said groove communicating with said hood.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover isinclined downwardly towards said backwall and said heater has a pointfor dripping of condensate therefrom onto said second cover.

15. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hood has asuction duct extending upwardly for connection to a suction source.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover isroof shaped.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said second cover hasa condensate drain opening arranged on one side thereof.

18. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which further includes asuction means at the upper end of said heater and a suction means at thelower end of said heater.

. f v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,633,353 7 r I Dated I n llif a 972 I 7 Arthur Wurmli I Inventor(s) Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: i

Column 1, line 71, insert "to thelett and-"ans:

Signed and sealed this 30th day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest: I I v I v I.

EDWARD M.FLETCHER ,JR. ROBERT GOT'I'SCHALK Attesting OfficerCommissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) usco -pc 50375 95 a u. 5.GOVERNMENT PRINTING orrlc: I! o-su-su

1. An apparatus for eliminating vapor and condensate from a drawingarrangement for endless threads having a block heater, a first coverover said heater and a draw roll below said heater; said apparatuscomprising means defining a chimneylike compartment between said heaterand draw roll, said means including a second cover at the upper end ofsaid compartment below said heater and a vertical backwall extendingbelow said draw roll; and a suction hood suspended below said secondcover, said hood communicating with said heater to receive condensatedripping from said heater and communicating with said backwall to guidethe received condensate to said backwall for flowing past said drawroll.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first coverincludes a lowermost point for dripping of condensate therefrom intosaid hood.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which furthercomprises a plurality of said heaters and draw rolls, and acorresponding plurality of said compartments having a separate suctionhood therein.
 4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidsuction hood has a condensate collector groove therein extendinglongitudinally thereof.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 whereinsaid collector groove is provided at said backwall.
 6. An apparatus asset forth in claim 4 wherein said condensate collector groove isprovided with condensate drain openings arranged near said backwall andlaterally offset from said draw roll.
 7. An apparatus as set forth inclaim 1 wherein said backwall forms a condensate collector groove belowsaid draw roll.
 8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein saidsuction hood has a suction opening directed upwardly and arrangedvertically below an opening in said second cover and below said blockheater.
 9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8 wherein said blockheater has a point arranged vertically above said suction opening ofsaid suction hood for dripping of condensate directly into said suctionhood.
 10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hoodhas suction openings communicating with the lower end of said heater.11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means includes apair of separator walls extending from said backwall.
 12. An apparatusas set forth in claim 11 wherein each separator wall has a lower edgeinclined downwardly towards said backwall to direct condensate thereto.13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover isinclined downwardly towards said backwall and includes a groove thereinand drain openings in said groove communicating with said hood.
 14. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover is inclineddownwardly towards said backwall and said heater has a point fordripping of condensate therefrom onto said second cover.
 15. Anapparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said suction hood has asuction duct extending upwardly for connection to a suction source. 16.An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second cover is roofshaped.
 17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said secondcover has a condensate drain opening arranged on one side thereof. 18.An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 which further includes a suctionmeans at the upper end of said heater and a suction means at the lowerend of said heater.